Friday, August 3, 2012

Corsets are tax-free this weekend!

Here's a list of crazy things you can buy without sales tax for "back-to-school" purposes

Today marks the beginning of the annual sales tax holiday weekend in South Carolina, and you know what that means: No taxes on ski boots!

The original intent of the sales tax holiday was to help families buy back-to-school supplies. (We thought perhaps we were misremembering, but we called the S.C. Department of Revenue to check, and they confirmed it.) Generally, that meant things like binders, pens, laptop computers, wide-rule notebook paper, clothes, and linens for college dormitories.

A full list of tax-exempt items is available for your perusal here (PDF). What follows is a partial list of the curious things you can buy sans sales tax from now through Sunday night:

• Adult and baby diapers

• Antique clothing

• Athletic or sport uniforms or clothing (but not equipment such as mitts, helmets, and pads)

• Beach towels (but not paper towels)

• Beach capes and coats

• Box spring covers (but not box springs)

• Bed canopies

• Bonnets

• Bridal gowns and veils

• Cowboy boots (but not cowgirl boots?)

• Capes

• Corsets and corset laces

• Costumes

• Furs

• Girdles

• Hunting vests

• Ice skates, in-line skates, and roller skates

• Lingerie

• Mattress pads and toppers (but not mattresses)

• Ski masks and suits

• Skin diving suits

• Suspenders

• Tuxedos

• Zippers

Also, did you know that Bibles, newsprint, hearing aids, and platinum bullion can all be purchased without sales tax year-round in this fine state? It's true.